Why get tested for HIV? Here's what amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research, has to say:
Early diagnosis is crucial in preventing life-threatening health conditions and combating the spread of HIV. Knowing your status will allow you to take steps to protect your health and the health of others. If you know you are HIV-positive and pregnant, you can take medications and other precautions -— such as refraining from breast-feeding -- to significantly reduce the risk of infecting your child.
So if you've been putting off getting an HIV test, now's the time. June 27 is National HIV Testing Day, but you don't have to wait until then to get going.
AIDS.gov has a locator tool to find testing sites near you, and Walgreens, in partnership with Greater Than AIDS, is providing free testing at select store locations around the country. Show up at the following times:
- Thursday, June 25, from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.
- Friday, June 26, from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.
- Saturday, June 27, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
You can find the Walgreens testing sites using this map or on this list, arranged by state. There are 23 locations in California, including nine in the Los Angeles area and eight in the San Francisco Bay Area. (And if you happen to live in Contra Costa County, the county is providing free testing on Friday in Richmond.)
You can check out amfAR's A Practical Guide to Getting Tested for HIV here.